In the mid 1800's, the Illinois and Michigan Canal was a vital link between Lake Michigan and the Mississippi River - basically between the Atlantic Ocean and the rest of the country. Barges of goods were pulled by mules that walked on a path next to the canal. Changes in elevation were overcome by installing several locks. The locks would either fill with water or be emptied of water to allow the barges to travel the length of the canal. Each lock needed a tender or someone who would open and close the gates that held back the water.

This structure is a preserved lock tender's home and is located near Morris, IL. One of the two locks has been closed to show how it once operated.

About Tom

Environmental and landscape photographer Tom Gill captures the natural and man made wonders of the southeastern portion of Lake Michigan, particularly lighthouses, the National Lakeshore, barns, and small town nostalgia. Tom is a blogger on The Huffington Post, and has earned international recognition for his photography, with publication in the Huffington Post, the Daily Mail, the Australian, Melbourne and Victoria Herald Sun, Adelaide Now,Civil War Times, Weatherwise Magazine, Backpacker Magazine, American Motorcyclist, and other major newspapers and magazines. The Weather Channel, CNN, ABC,NBC, WGN news affiliates, and countless online media outlets have also featured his work. Tom holds a Fine Arts Degree in design from the University of Illinois at Chicago, and aside from photography, enjoys woodworking, sketching, painting, and hiking with his family.

To purchase prints of the photographs featured on Tom's blog, on his flickr pages, or on his Google + pages, contact the photographer directly at